RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Bully-victimization is a widespread public health issue with significant negative effects on both social function and psychological well-being. Existing research in Peru shows high prevalence of bullying. However, researchers have yet to fully understand the phenomenon of victimization in developing regions. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to characterize victimization patterns over time, along with the predictors of victimization from a cohort of Peruvian adolescents enrolled in the young lives (YL) study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study examined data from YL, a longitudinal study of poverty, health, and development, which examined data from the older cohort of children in Peru across three rounds (ages 8, 12, and 15 years). The sample consisted of 714 children from 74 communities that represent 20 districts in Peru. RESULTS: After adjusting for urban/rural setting, there remained a significantly lower wealth index for children who were bullied at ages 8 and 12 years. Exploratory analysis showed that although those in the lowest quartile of body mass index (BMI) were significantly more likely to be bullied at age 8 years, this association waned over time. A worse caregiver assessment of child's health compared with others was associated with a significantly greater risk of bully-victimization. At age 8 years, caregiver education was significantly lower among those bullied compared with those who were not bullied. CONCLUSION: This study showed several factors as the predictors of victimization in the early years, including being male and having low BMI, low socioeconomic status, and low parental/caregiver education. Further longitudinal studies should be conducted to determine the extent to which these predictors vary in significance over time.
Assuntos
Comportamento do Adolescente/psicologia , Bullying/estatística & dados numéricos , Vítimas de Crime/psicologia , Vítimas de Crime/estatística & dados numéricos , Adolescente , Distribuição por Idade , Índice de Massa Corporal , Cuidadores , Criança , Estudos de Coortes , Feminino , Nível de Saúde , Humanos , Estudos Longitudinais , Masculino , Grupo Associado , Peru , Pobreza , Fatores de Risco , População Rural , Distribuição por Sexo , Fatores Socioeconômicos , População UrbanaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Sexting (sexual messaging via mobile devices) among adolescents may result in increased risky sexual practices, psychological distress and in some cases, suicide. There is very little research on sexting in developing nations, such as Peru. In particular, little is known about gender differences in the correlates of sexting. The purpose of this study was to determine the sexting prevalence and correlates of sexting among adolescent boys and girls in Cusco, Peru. METHODS: The study sample comprised 949 high school aged adolescents from Cusco, Peru. Adolescents responded to questions about demographics, sexting behavior, and risk/protective factors. Separate regression models were constructed to compare correlates of sexting for boys and sexting for girls. RESULTS: Twenty percent of the sample reported engaging in at least one instance of sexting. Boys reported higher rates of sexting than girls (35.17% vs. 13.19%, p = 0.000). Significant correlates for girls' sexting included having been cyberbullied and parental factors. For boys, hypertexting, fighting, parental factors, and parental rules about sexting were significant. CONCLUSIONS: Peruvian health officials with an interest in reducing the effects of sexting among adolescents may choose to target boys differently than girls. These efforts may include advising parents to set clear rules and expectations about sexting and the appropriate use of mobile devices.
Assuntos
Comportamento do Adolescente , Comportamento Sexual , Envio de Mensagens de Texto , Adolescente , Serviços de Saúde do Adolescente , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Peru/epidemiologia , Prevalência , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: While extensive research has been conducted on bullying and victimization in western countries, research is lacking in low- and middle-income settings. This study focused on bullying victimization in Peru. It explored the relationship between the caregiver's perception of child victimization and the child's view of selected negative experiences occurring with other children their age. Also, the study examined the association between victimization and adolescent health risk behaviors. METHODS: This study used data from 675 children participating in the Peru cohort of the Young Lives study. Children and caregivers were interviewed in 2002 when children were 8 years of age and again in 2009 when children were 15 years of age. Measures of victimization included perceptions from children and caregivers while measures of health risk behaviors included cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, and sexual relations among adolescents. RESULTS: Caregivers identified 85 (12.6%) children bullied at ages 8 and 15, 235 (34.8%) bullied at age 8 only, 61 (9.0%) bullied at age 15 only, and 294 (43.6%) not bullied at either age. Children who were bullied at both ages compared with all other children were 1.58 (95% CI 1.00-2.50) times more likely to smoke cigarettes, 1.57 (1.04-2.38) times more likely to drink alcohol, and 2.17 (1.41-3.33) times more likely to have ever had a sexual relationship, after adjusting for gender. The caregiver's assessment of child victimization was significantly associated with child reported bullying from other children their age. Child reported victimization was significantly associated with increased risky behaviors in some cases. CONCLUSION: Long-term victimization from bullying is more strongly associated than less frequent victimization with increased risk of cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, and sexual relations at age 15. Hence, programs focused on helping children learn how to mitigate and prevent bullying consistently over time may also help reduce risky adolescent health behaviors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and sexual activity.
Assuntos
Bullying/psicologia , Vítimas de Crime/psicologia , Comportamentos Relacionados com a Saúde , Assunção de Riscos , Adolescente , Fatores Etários , Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas/epidemiologia , Cuidadores/psicologia , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Peru/epidemiologia , Estudos Prospectivos , Fatores de Risco , Comportamento Sexual/estatística & dados numéricos , Fumar/epidemiologiaRESUMO
Adolescence is an important stage of life when health behaviors and attitudes are established. The purpose of this research was to assess health risk behaviors among Guatemalan students in both an urban and rural school. Items were adapted from the Global School-based Student Health Survey and were used to measure and compare the prevalence of risk behaviors between these two demographically and culturally distant school-based samples. In general, the prevalence of adolescent health risk behaviors in both schools was lower than other Latin American countries. Many health risk behaviors were associated with location (urban vs. rural settings) and/or gender. Tobacco use, alcohol use, and sexual activity were higher among urban students. Boys were more likely than girls to use alcohol, use tobacco, and be sexually active. In addition, the prevalence of mental health problems was higher among girls and rural students. These findings imply that measures should be taken to design effective and appropriate health strategies for adolescents attending these schools. Health promotion programs in schools and communities should assist the youth in developing positive health behaviors and cultivating healthy lifestyles in an effort to reduce risk behaviors among adolescent populations. Further research is needed to extend our understanding of risk factors of health behavior in these adolescent populations and to identify effective preventative approaches and strategies that specifically cater to the location and culture of the students.
Assuntos
Depressão/epidemiologia , Comportamentos Relacionados com a Saúde , População Rural/estatística & dados numéricos , População Urbana/estatística & dados numéricos , Adolescente , Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas/epidemiologia , Distribuição de Qui-Quadrado , Criança , Estudos Transversais , Feminino , Guatemala , Humanos , Masculino , Prevalência , Fatores de Risco , Comportamento Sexual/estatística & dados numéricos , Fumar/epidemiologia , Ideação Suicida , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Advertising plays a major role in smoking behavior and forming brand preferences. Additionally, the most advertised tobacco brands have also been the most preferred. Maintaining brand loyalty in Latin America remains a priority for the tobacco industry. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore tobacco brand preference trends from 2003 to 2006, and explore marketing and advertising factors that might be associated with these trends. STUDY GROUP: Data for this study came from Mexican adolescents residing in cities that participated in the Global Youth Tobacco Survey in both 2003 and 2006 and reported smoking either Marlboro or Camel cigarettes in the past 30 days. METHODS: Respondents reported the brand name of their preferred cigarette during the past 30 days. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine differences by brand preference and exposure to tobacco marketing and advertising, which was assessed using six items. RESULTS: In 2003, most adolescents preferred Marlboro. By 2006, older boys preferred Camel cigarettes to Marlboro, while girls' preference for Camel was similar to their preference for Marlboro. Adolescents that preferred Camel cigarettes in 2003 also reported greater exposure to tobacco marketing and advertising. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that there are ongoing shifts in youth brand preference in Mexico, and that these shifts might be related to marketing and advertising practices. There is an ongoing need for monitoring marketing and advertising practices in an effort to protect adolescents from tobacco company exploits.